Colors: Life Isn't Always Black and White
by Liv Wilder
Summary: Spoilers for 5x17. "She isn't surprised to hear the soft knock on her front door, and she smiles to herself, wrapping the black silk robe a little tighter around her body, making her way on bare feet to answer it. "So I was thinking…not everything in life is black and white, right?" says Castle, leaning casually against her doorjamb." COMPLETE


_A/N: WARNING: This 'Colors' one-shot was prompted by Sneak Peek number two for Ep. 5x17 'Scared To Death'. So if you don't like spoilers, save this one until after the show airs, since the first section of dialogue is lifted directly from the show. Also, it's M-rated, in case you missed it, for sexual content and language._

* * *

_"When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes._

_But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!"_

_― Ted Grant_

* * *

**_Life Isn't Always Black And White_**

The precinct is deserted, they're pretty much the only ones left working at this hour, and they're mostly running on empty – out of coffee, out of ideas, and out of luck it would seem, when…

'It's getting kinda late, 'kay. So, why don't we just call it a night?" says Kate, before lowering her voice and moving in a little closer to add, "You know what, actually, we could go back to my place tonight and take some more photos," she whispers, temptation and desire both lacing her voice.

Castle smiles coyly, pleased at how eager his partner always is to spice things up a little in the bedroom, before he suddenly pulls up short, rearing back away from her and into the desk behind him with the accompanying screech of furniture legs against the old wooden floor.

"Well, I might be convinced…wow, wait a minute!" he exclaims, adding earnestly, "In every horror movie I've ever _seen_, having sex pretty much guarantees we will _die!" _he hisses for Kate's ears only. "So for the safety of us both, I say we just…hold off."

His eyes are wide with this crazy fear he's been feeding himself, and if she wasn't being denied a night of fun between the sheets, it would be hilarious. Richard Castle, playboy extraordinaire is refusing to sleep with her because of some fictitious curse. Oh, he is _so_ getting this thrown back in his face at some later date.

Kate decides to tease him some more. Knowing just the right buttons to push, she moves in for the kill, stalking him like the innocent, defenseless prey he is.

"Are you sure? I mean think about it Castle, this could be our _last time_," she all but whispers, eyes locked onto his, the barest smirk on her lips as she watches him quiver, torn between desire and fear.

"That's… Okay…uh… What you're doing right now, this is _not_ helping," he stammers. "This…I'm gonna remove myself…from temptation," he adds, backing away from her. "A good night's sleep will give me some perspective," he says firmly, to convince himself she's pretty sure, moving quickly to put some distance between them.

He bounces off a pillar on his way to the elevator and Kate can't help but laugh to herself. Mission accomplished! She just sent him spiraling over the edge with the barest of teases about the little photographic session they started a few days ago at her apartment. Hopefully that will take his mind off the crazy '_I'm next to die_' theory he's had spinning around his head since that creepy DVD showed up along with their very real, very dead victim, Val Butler.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Kate has a bottle of wine open on her kitchen counter, a single glass of straw-colored Viognier poured, beads of condensation trailing a lazy path down the outside of the glass, its partner sitting empty on the countertop beside it '_just in case'_.

So she isn't surprised to hear the soft knock on her front door, and she smiles to herself, wrapping the black silk robe a little tighter around her body, retying the loose knot in the belt as she makes her way on bare feet to answer it.

"So I was thinking…not everything in life is black and white, right?" says Castle, leaning casually against her doorjamb, a bottle of something dark and expensive in his hand, that sexy, lopsided smirk on his face.

"You referring to our photo session…or your death-curse?" Kate asks dryly, flaring out one hip and crossing her arms so that her breasts are forced upwards, further into Castle's line of sight.

"I'm putting the death curse on hold for tonight."

"_Really?_ The fates will allow you to do that?" mocks Kate. "I had no idea pure evil could be that accommodating."

"Okay, now you're just mocking me," he grumbles, pushing past her into her living room.

"Please, by all means, come in," she mouths, stepping back to allow him to pass.

Castle takes one long look at her, sweeps his eyes greedily up and down her black silk-clad frame as she takes off his coat and drops it on a chair.

Kate feels his gaze burning into her and a jolt of pride mixed with arousal races up her spine, raising goosebumps on her bath-warmed skin.

"Were you expecting company?" he asks, admiring the sheen of black satin draped over her shoulders and breasts, the fine web of intricate lace that crosses her cleavage, teasing what's hiding underneath, and the bare expanse of thigh left exposed by her short robe.

He turns to look around the apartment, almost as if he expects to see someone else. But then his eyes alight on the two wine glasses sitting side-by-side on her counter and he pauses, turns back towards her with a smug smile.

"You were waiting for me, weren't you?" he grins.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about, Castle, I…"

"No. No, don't play coy with me, Beckett. Two wine glasses, and that looks like an expensive bottle, the sexy lingerie… You knew I would show up tonight. Just admit it. Didn't you? That's what that little teasing routine was all about at the precinct. You _knew_ I couldn't stay away. _Our last time?_" he laughs, taking a predatory step towards her.

"Maybe I was expecting someone else. You ever think of that?" she throws back dangerously, watching the fire of pure possession light behind his eyes, her heart beginning to hammer.

"Better not be. Because _you_ are _all mine_," he declares, surging towards her and picking her up before she can react.

Kate squeals, wrapping her legs around his waist, and he carries her into the bedroom. They stumble a little when her frantic mouth leaves his lips and latches onto his neck, her breath coming in short panting bursts that would have shamed her just a few months ago for the complete desperation it reveals.

"You're gonna pay for that," Castle murmurs distractedly, nipping at her lip and squeezing her ass hard, filling his hands with her warm curves, before dumping her unceremoniously onto the bed with a smirk.

* * *

Kate bounces on the dark comforter, her eyes glittering with excitement and pure need, knowing exactly what's coming and loving every second of how they're going to get there.

Castle leans down over her, resting one knee between her thighs, a hand coming to settle above her shoulder, his fingers slipping under the soft hair at the nape of her neck. His other hand scoops under her waist, fingers pressing into the tight muscles that band her spine, making her arch up towards him.

"Long, frustrating day," he says, pressing his mouth against hers, his tongue teasing the seam of her lips for the barest second before she opens up, hungry for him.

Kate runs the arch of her bare foot up along the back of his jeans, tugging him closer.

"So…take your frustration out on me," she suggests, teasing, teasing, with her eyes and the dip of her fingers beneath the waist of his pants, tugging on his belt as if he needed a clue as to her intentions.

"You smell amazing," he whispers, kissing her neck softly.

"You showered and shaved, I see," she grins back, the warm scent of lemons radiating off his clean skin.

"Got to be prepared. Didn't know what kind of reception I'd get," he says, with the slightest hesitancy.

"Short of begging, I _did_ ask you back here tonight."

"Yes, and I, like a fool, turned you down. Didn't know if I'd be in the doghouse for that. Sorry I was such a jerk."

"No. You were fun. But no more talk of curses tonight, 'kay?"

"Promise."

"Good. Then let's get you more comfortable," she says, flipping his belt open to start the process.

* * *

Castle stands up to begin undressing, and when he turns to the bureau to open _his_ drawer and put his belt away, he spies the camera sitting on top. The tripod is set up in the corner.

"You… Wait, that's not the camera, Kate," he says, eyeing his Nikon DSLR sitting on the dresser and then flicking his eyes towards the small Sony video camera sitting atop the tripod.

"I know," she grins devilishly, clearly excited, her knees drawn up, the short robe parting to reveal the black and white silk chemise underneath.

"Wait. You want us to…" he grins back, his face lighting up with matching excitement.

"Make a sex tape," she finishes for him, biting her lip, her cheeks adorably flushed, eyes so bright and shiny.

"Best. Girlfriend. Ever," he says reverently, hurrying to shed his clothes, the drawer forgotten as his pants and shirt join his socks, belt and undershirt in a heap on Kate's bedroom floor.

He crawls onto the mattress beside her, scooping her up so that they're both sitting back at the top of the bed, him leaning against the black wooden headboard, and Kate leaning against Castle's naked chest, his thighs containing hers, his black silk boxer shorts the only clothing he has left on.

"So, what brought this on?" he asks, teasing her ear with his tongue, feeling her shiver in his arms.

"After we took those black and whites last week…I guess I got inspired. I just figured maybe a little action wouldn't go amiss this time. That way we both get to enjoy it. Let go. Forget the camera is even there."

"You're sure about this?" he asks, wondering about her job, how secure making a tape is going to be, hoping this means she trusts him enough that this will never become something she regrets.

"Am I sure?" she asks, turning in his arms to look at him. "About _you?_"

"About a lot of things, Kate. Your job, for one. What if it leaked out? And me…us…yes."

"Castle, I wasn't planning on YouTubing it," Kate laughs, patting his thigh. "You have a safe, right? So we keep the SD card in there. And as for us…I'm good. Aren't you? I trust you with my life everyday we're on the job. So I'm pretty sure I can trust you not to sell me out to The Ledger or The Huffington Post."

Castle chuckles, wrapping his arms more tightly around her.

"I think you're safe on that score…for now," he teases, playing with a tendril of her hair. "But when we're old and my memory starts to fade, my millions spent, we can always save the sex tape as an insurance policy. Sell it to the highest bidder to fund our retirement. How about that?" he suggest, kissing her gently, their lips meeting and then parting in a silly smile.

"That your way of saying we're good?" asks Kate, pulling back to look at him, needing to hear him say it after the scare she got when he left her to go after Alexis on his own.

"That's my way of saying we're solid, we're in it for the long haul. What hurts you hurts me, Kate. So if you're ready to take a starring role, I say, lets get it on," he adds, wrapping his thighs around her, her body folded into his lap, her arms snaking around his neck to hold him to her.

"This your casting couch, Mr. Director?" Kate teases, snaking her tongue out to taste the soft, smooth skin below Castle's ear, getting the sharp tang of lemons mixed with his unique musky maleness.

"Eh, no. This would be your bed, Miss Beckett. We moved past casting couches a long time ago. You got the job already. Now go turn on that camera and let's make some memories."

* * *

Kate gets up from the bed and busies herself with lighting the room – just enough to let them film clearly, but soft enough that the light is flattering, the footage sensual, erotic, tasteful, rather than graphic and mechanical.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" she asks, when Castle gets up and walks to the door.

"Don't know about you, but I'm thinking a glass of wine wouldn't hurt."

"Nervous?" asks Kate, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek, toying with the soft velvety flesh of his earlobe.

"Maybe a little," Castle admits, walking his fingers around behind her back and nuzzling in against her, his nose pressed to her hair, which is still up in the sophisticated bun she wore to work, exposing her long, elegant neck.

"Don't be," she reassures him, kissing him quickly. "You're gonna be great. Now hurry back with the wine," she adds, smacking him on the rear when he turns to leave.

When Castle comes back in bearing two large glasses, Kate is reaching up behind the tripod to turn it on, the little red light blinking into action, telling her that the video camera is running.

"Wait. Don't you have to position it properly?" asks Castle, smoothing a hand through his hair and straightening his boxer shorts, after he takes a large gulp of wine and places the glasses down on the nightstand.

Kate wants to laugh, he's so vain sometimes. She's pretty sure his boxer shorts won't be staying on for much longer for one thing. Not if she has anything to do with it.

"I already did," she tells him, turning away to light a candle on her bureau.

"_You_…?" chokes Castle. "You really _were_ sure I was going to show up here tonight, weren't you?" he grins, patting the bed beside him.

"Didn't think you'd want to miss out on our last time," Kate teases, crawling up over the bed towards him.

"Don't even joke about that," he scolds, tugging on the front of her robe so that she topples over onto him, laughing.

"Shhh," she whispers, pressing a finger to his lips. "We don't want the DVD gremlin to hear us."

"Cut it out," laughs Castle nervously, growling until he finds the tie at her waist and manages to undo the bow, watching as the front flutters open with a silky whisper, revealing the short chemise underneath.

"Whatever you say. Now…what would you like me to do for you, Mr. Castle?" asks Kate in a sultry voice, her eyes flashing with pure want and naked intention.

"Make sure you get my good side, for starters," whispers Castle, rather stiffly trying to arrange himself in front of the camera.

He's more nervous than Kate expected him to be, and something about that is disarmingly honest and sweet.

"Hey. Hey," says Kate quietly, tipping his chin up so that he's looking right at her. "Relax, will you? The shot is set to wide angle. If we work the bed diagonally, we'll get everything in. Now, I'm only going to say this one time, so pay attention," she adds, running her thumb over his lower lip as she watches him with a tender look in her eyes, his nervous anticipation at having to perform on film amusing her. "You don't _have_ a bad side, Castle. Judging by those photos we took, the camera loves you. _So_…just relax and have fun with it. Let me do all the work. Okay?"

"Is there anyway I could refuse a request like that?"

"I hope not. So just…lie back and enjoy," she tells him.

* * *

Castle settles back against the pillows Kate has arranged, but she can tell he's still not as comfortable as usual. His muscles are tense, and he's nowhere near fully aroused, the soft outline of his penis through the silk of his boxers telling her everything she needs to know.

So she kneels up on the bed in front of him, her robe hanging open now that he has loosened the belt, and she slowly slides the black silk off her shoulders, exposing one side at a time. Castle watches her little striptease hungrily, but then his eyes flick back towards the glow of the camera's red light.

"Castle. Don't look over there. Look at me," whispers Kate, gently turning his head until their eyes meet.

He has one arm resting behind his head, the muscles of his huge biceps catching Kate's attention, making her mouth go dry. He is an impressive specimen of manhood all in – from his musculature to his smooth, soft skin; his height; his physical strength; the thick dark head of hair she loves; his well-muscled ass that she will never get tired of touching and squeezing; the hard flex of his thighs when he thrusts into her; and then there's all the ways he knows how to love her, to make love to her, taking her to far off, magical places she never even knew existed.

She gets closer to him, lets the robe fall to the bed in a puddle of black silk, and then she reaches for his free hand. Guiding it towards her, she slides their joined hands beneath the lace of her chemise and watches his breath catch as he feels her damp curls, watches his eyes widen when she pushes his fingers into the glistening, sticky slickness of her arousal. She's so wet, the lips of her sex swollen and pulsating, desperate to feel him slide into her, but fighting that urge, in order to take things more slowly.

Castle smiles, the camera forgotten, and Kate sees the lust in his eyes, his delight at finding her naked beneath her robe, just aching and ready for him.

She coasts over the length of his fingers, moaning deliciously as he slides them back and forth between her legs in a lazy, torturous rhythm, guided by her own hand. She feels her nipples peak beneath the lace, and her skin, every inch of her body becoming sensitive, aching to be touched by him.

"God you're beautiful," murmurs Castle, leaning up on one elbow to kiss her mouth, his tongue pushing dirtily past her lips; probing and demanding.

* * *

He slips the thin strap of her chemise off her right shoulder so that he can capture her taut nipple in his mouth. He runs his tongue expertly around the tight little nub, flicking at it, blowing cold air to tease her more, until Kate hisses in frustration, her fingers slipping through his hair to bring his mouth closer, sighing with pleasure when he latches on to her breast, sucking the swollen flesh into his mouth, pulsing her nipple between the hard roof of his mouth and his fleshy tongue, sending jolts of electricity straight to her core.

"Fuck, you're so good at that," she tells him, encouraging him to relax even more.

His fingers stroke through her swollen flesh once more, before he finally pushes them inside her, forcing a shuddering cry of surprise from Kate's lips that has her throwing her head back and widening her legs on the bed, where she's still kneeling, to give him better access.

"Feels good?" Castle asks, watching her hungrily as she circles her hips around his thick fingers, and then stills, fighting the fluttering sensation that tells him she's so close.

But he can see she's trying to hold out, make it last longer, planning to work them both up to one shattering climax as she is so expert at doing, a particular skill of hers he was delighted to discover.

"Remember our first time?" whispers Kate, licking her lips, watching his eyes darken with lust mingled with pain of the memory of that night.

"Mmm-hmm," he hums, brushing his thumb over her clitoris, making her shudder and then feverishly shake her head.

Not yet. Too soon.

"I want that, Castle. The way you took me that night. I needed you so badly and you fucked me so desperately."

"You want that?" asks Castle, playing along with her.

Because there have been nights like that since, many times when he has demanded things of her and she from him. Just as there have also been times, like that very first night, when they make love to one another with such gentle, reverent tenderness that she is reduced to tears. They share it all – the love, the fear, the loss, the pain – and Kate frees him to give and take whatever he needs, and he loves her even more for knowing this side to her now; how open and trusting she can be with him, when he truthfully expected anything but.

"Yes, I want that. Please. Fuck me like it's our first time all over again."

"I can do that," Castle tells her, moving round behind her on the bed, the pile of pillows stacked high in front of her perfect for the task.

* * *

He kneels behind her, wraps one arm around her waist, holding her captive against him, as his other hand finds her soaking, throbbing sex again, and he slides his fingers between her silky folds, letting out a long breath when she arches back against him, quivering, her head resting on his shoulder, one breast exposed.

He strokes her for several seconds, finding a rhythm that brings her close to the edge, and then he slows to pull her back from the brink.

Kate is flushed, her skin hot and her body aching with the need to come, but not before Castle is inside her. She reaches round behind her to grasp the hard outline of his erect cock, since she can feel it pressing insistently against her buttocks. He is so ready now.

This time, when she arches her back, she captures his mouth in a hot, needy kiss, gasping for breath when they pull apart, her whole body aching to have him.

"Now, Castle. Please? I need to feel you inside me now," she begs.

He withdraws his fingers from inside her, and she takes over, continuing to touch herself while he quickly strips his underwear off.

She looks back, his penis springs free, so thick and hard her throat is tight and dry at the sight of it. The ache between her legs intensifies in anticipation.

Castle grips hold of her once more, his arm around her middle, the other hand guiding his erection between her legs as he begins to slowly tease his cock between the swollen lips of her wet pussy. She rides the smooth hardness of his arousal, both of them moving together as he rubs himself against her, their ragged breathing the only sound in the bedroom.

The other strap of her chemise falls down her arm leaving both breasts exposed, and Castle palms one with his free hand, massaging the mound of flesh, rubbing her sensitive nipple around in his palm, enjoying the moan Kate releases from between her lips.

"Fuck me," she finally murmurs, falling forwards onto her hands, exposing her bare buttocks to him, the black and white silk and lace of her chemise pushed up to her waist, the eroticism of the sight making Castle grow even harder.

* * *

She leans over the pillows, widening her legs for him, and he can see the glistening juice on the tops of her thighs.

He presses a hand to her belly, holding her steady, and then watches her arch her back in preparation and offering, to take him inside. He grasps his erection in one hand and teases her entrance with the head, watching with pride as she leans back into him, impatient to pierce her own body with his cock, sinking back against him until he is sheathed all the way inside her.

Kate shudders, bites her lip to control the urge to give in and come right away, because she is so close and the sensation of him pushing into her, stretching her, remembering their first time; his demands, her need, their uncontrolled desire to consume one another after so much time spent wanting and denying. She feels all of that again, can summon it up anytime, since it's still so true, so raw, all of it.

Finally, when she can fight it no more, she begins to move, leaning forwards over the pillows so she is spread out on her stomach with Castle behind her, she moves, thrusting her ass up against him, crying out when he pushes even harder into her, his fingers gripping her hips, his buttocks flexing, thighs contracting every time he drives deeper.

"Touch me?" she begs, moving to give him space to get his hand between her body and the pillows.

His fingers find her clit immediately, and she screams, her thighs clenching around his hand, her muscles working his cock hard, gripping him fiercely, her need almost overwhelming as he gentle strokes her higher and higher.

"Kiss me, Kate," Castle asks, leaning forward so that her head is turned toward the camera, and he pushes into her again and again, their bodies crying out for release, but relishing the sensation of being joined together too much to let go just yet.

When his tongue delves into her mouth, one hand clamped around her throat, holding her head back, the other stroking her clit in time with his steady thrusts, she can't take it anymore. She's so worked up her lungs won't work, her eyes roll back in her head and it's too much all at once and yet never enough. She feels her body seize and start to shake, her muscles are burning, her heart pounds, bright sparks of light explode behind her eyes and she threatens to black out as Castle's hand tightens on her neck.

And then suddenly he releases her, catching her hip as she comes apart, holding her steady as she quivers around him, his name a strangled sob of benediction in her throat while she gasps for air.

The power of her climax is enough to take him with her. The feel of her body reaching such heights beneath him, her writhing desperation, her powerful muscles working so hard, her silky skin, the intoxicating scent her body releases in the throws of sex; all the things he loves and desires about her coalescing to a peak of erotic perfection every time he witnesses her come apart in his arms.

His hips jerk uncontrollably, a sharp jab of pleasure and pain at the base of his penis as his whole body tightens before he spills into her, thrumming with excitement and the power of his release – a single perfect moment of limitless potential that they both share. He aches, he shivers, he flinches, his eyes screwed tightly shut and his heart hammers, his skin glistening and flushed, fingers unconsciously holding on to Kate while his body lets go.

* * *

When he opens his eyes, Kate's hair is splayed out over the pillow on one side, a tangle of unruly, damp curls. A couple of bobby pins are clenched in the fingers of her other hand, as she rests against the pillows, her back one long, tantalizing, tan line he has an urgent desire to lick, as he watches a glistening bead of sweat roll down between her shoulder blades.

The chemise is bunched up around her waist, the dishevelment at once so erotic and yet displaying her complete vulnerability to him. She looks beautiful, peaceful; her dark lashes feathering her pink, flushed cheeks, her lips slightly parted as she comes down from her own high, her breathing still slightly labored as a result.

"You okay?" Castle whispers, kissing her shoulder, smiling when she twitches, her back muscles spasming in response to the gentle press of his lips against her spine.

"Mmm. More than," she hums, stretching her legs out across the bed, as he comes to lie half over her, knowing how much she likes to feel the weight of him pressing down on her after sex, likes the comfort, his warmth on her cooling skin, the closeness their coupling brings them – all subtext, barriers, and misunderstandings stripped away in favor of honesty, truth and real intimacy.

"Think we're in with the chance of an Oscar nomination?" Kate jokes, leaning over her shoulder to meet his soft kiss, her fingers latching into his thigh, stroking over the light dusting of dark hair that coats his leg.

"Might need a second take just to be sure," Castle replies, brushing the damp hair off her neck, kissing the soft creases of skin he exposes to the cool bedroom air.

"Think we broke the curse?" she teases, nudging him so she can roll onto her side to see him better.

"I think if we didn't I'd be bitterly disappointed, because I don't ever want to think about our last time. I will _never_ stop wanting you, Kate, as long as I draw breath," Castle promises, kissing her deeply to underline the genuine emotion behind that sentiment.

Kate laughs, a low, throaty chuckle, when he lets her go.

"Is that so?"

"Mmm," he hums, lightly touching her cheek. "Get prepared to have a horny old man chasing you down the hall on his walker. Cause I am _never_ letting you go."

Kate's face goes from smiling to serious in a heartbeat, realizing how much she hopes that scenario will play out for both of them – that they will have endless years together to laugh, and tease, and love and drive one another crazy.

"Matching rockers?" she asks, running her finger down the strong line of his nose and then playfully tweaking the tip.

"Matching slippers too, if you like," Castle replies, watching her thoughtfully.

* * *

It's only a couple of days later, when Kate gets a chance to fully review the movie they made, that she really sees how they are together now – sees the closeness and the intimacy that surrounds the mind-blowing sex, their hopes for the future more closely aligned that she ever thought possible at this early stage.

The video camera comes out often after that, and their movie nights take on a whole new flavor from time-to-time. No popcorn required where these screenings are concerned, as one thing leads to another and the action spills over from the screen to the bed, Castle's nerves now completely forgotten.

Sometimes it's Kate who still directs and Castle stars, while other times they share the stage and the creativity; letting their bodies run the show and their minds roam free. Because over time they have learned from one another that range and variety is key for them, and in this, as in all things, life isn't always black and white.

* * *

_**Black and White:** __is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts, as well as to the individual colors themselves._

_White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection. The color meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion._

_Black is the color of the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, creating an air of mystery. Black absorbs negative energy. _

_Black-and-white as a description may be considered a misnomer in that the images are not ordinarily starkly contrasted black and white but combine black and white in a continuum producing a range of shades of grey. Part of the appeal of black and white photography is its more subdued monochromatic character. _

_Since the advent of color, black-and-white mass media often connotes something "nostalgic", historic or anachronistic. _

* * *

_Thoughts?_


End file.
